To locate the North Star, first start by facing to the north. Pretty simple, right? Polaris is located directly along Earth's axis, so as the Earth rotates and other stars move through the sky, Polaris does not. Because Polaris does not move, it is an excellent method for celestial navigation.

Once you are facing to the north, you need to locate the constellation Ursa Major, or the Big Dipper. Even though the Big Dipper looks like large pan in the sky, it actually forms the shape of a bear.

Once you find the Big Dipper, you then need to find the "Pointers," which are the two stars that make up the large side of the pan. The "Pointers" show you the direction to look for Polaris. Polaris is five times the distance that the "Pointers" are long. Click on the image above to for a detailed diagram on finding Polaris.

Polaris is the first star in the handle to of the Little Dipper, or Ursa Minor.

If you struggle finding Polaris, you can always download "SkyView Free," a free smart phone based application.